The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-01-08
o
Facts Relating to Their Origin For""''"'
and General Usefulness.

Facts Relating to IheIr oris'"'
and General Usefulness.
Diamonds have been objects OF inter
est both to the ancients as well as they
are at present to all classes. but more
especially to scientists ard savants' IA
whom, even up to this present age
they are a mystery, as to their origin
or formation. Though known to be
composed of pure carbon. lllny, as
well as other ancient writers, seems t.
have been ignorant as to their charao'
teristics, being imbued with more III,
perstitious ideas than a true practical
knowledge or estimate of their powers
of resistance, believing they could only
be crushed by a previous bath of goats
blood. Persians give special venera'
ton to the diamond, owing to their be-
lief that they fell from the heavens at
the earliest creation of the world.
Others attribute them to be- of celestial
origin. as acrolites, possessing electric
light; others, again, believe them OF
vegetable origin. as some are found
with water cavities, also vegetable as
well as animal matter embedded in
them. Workers in them seem to have
a more true and practical knowledge
of them, and feel convinced that they
are more of a volcanic origin, and
their surmises may be correct, by the
recent discovery in South Africa, where
most of the supply is derived from the
bed or mouth of an exhausted crater.
Also in the discovery, within the past
half century, of its sister morplonic
gem, called ~"carbonato,' which to an
inexperienced eye Gin some stages of its
formation) has the outward appear
ance of crystals of emery, and when
broken looks like fractured, hardened
steel; again, in other stages the APP
p%earance of porous lava; but even to
the worker, as well as the scientist,
their progressive age of formation still
remains a mystery. 1t is impossible to
say whether the above is an old or
young diamond, being an Opaque coma
bination OF minute gray crystals. COM
pressed together by some natural force
into such a dense form and temper as
to make its sister lamellar and trans
parent gem subject to its attrition; and
an invaluable adjunct in the mechanic
arts. Again, we see the diamond in
its transition state of formation from
carbonate to thato of a granular lamcllal
diamond flakes, and then progressing
(f one may presume to so call i) into
the Opaque carbonacular form called
borts Qike rough molten balls of glass;,
and when broken furnish tibrous spin.
tiers like asbestos. which are used for
drilling holes in jewels, etc. Finally,
they verge into the lamellartranslucent
and transparent state, having a cleay-
age like mica, of gcometrical forms.
Some OF these crystals are formed with
other small o%ctahedron diamonds en-
bedded in the side facets. As to the
uses of the diamond in various ages
and by different nations. they are UNI
doubleday prehistoric, and might be
classed in their uses among the stone
age. 1t has been conceded by
modern savants that they must
have been used in the days of
the Pharaohs for something besides
amulets. At a meeting of the Anthro-
biological Institute of London, not long
by a reading before them, MI.
w. M. Flinders had collected evidence
in a tomb at Gizeh that tools armed
with jewels had been used in the form
Of solid or tubular drills as well as
The lines in cutting stone with
'hese tools leave an unmistakable trace
their workings, which no other tool
loes.
The unfinished obelisk at the
egyptian quarries, which has been
ylng there for over four thou
sand years, has continuous spiral ]
grooves, being of uniform depth, s
showing the cutting edge of the tool ]
vas not in any wise impaired. Dia- |
nUlds had different names in various {
lges, among nations and tribes. In {
he days of Solomon, 'samcr" or {
'shamer.' after the miraculous stone
working worn of that name; by the .
egyptians, auerchillis or chalazias; ,
i%recian. adamas or adamantine; and |
the Jews. iahaomc. etc. Thus lost
!rts are being restored to us by scien- |
itic research, and in recent years as |
veil as the present. We now see the [
[iamond advertised in multitudinous /
branches of arts. We had occasion, in
'ur issue of May .. 1876. to refer to dia- 4
nonds and their uses, since which they :
ave been growing rapidly in favor for r
trimming or lruing chilled iron, paper n
alender and porcelain rolls, emery :
'heels, saving and trimming stone, +
orlng rock for tunncling and prospect. r